1. Technical Field
The present invention related generally to an improved data processing system and in particular, to a method and apparatus for processing data. Still, more particularly, the present invention provides a method, apparatus, and computer instructions for reporting global errors on a logical partitioned data processing system having different types of operating systems.
2. Description of Related Art
A logical partitioned (LPAR) functionality within a data processing system (platform) allows multiple copies of a single operating system (OS) or multiple heterogeneous operating systems to be simultaneously run on a single data processing system platform. A partition, within which an operating system image runs, is assigned a non-overlapping subset of the platform's resources. These platform allocable resources include one or more architecturally distinct processors with their interrupt management area, regions of system memory, and input/output (I/O) adapter bus slots. The partition's resources are represented by the platform's firmware to the OS image.
Each distinct OS or image of an OS running within the platform is protected from each other such that software errors on one logical partition cannot affect the correct operation of any of the other partitions. This is provided by allocating a disjoint set of platform resources to be directly managed by each OS image and by providing mechanisms for ensuring that the various images cannot control any resources that have not been allocated to it. Furthermore, software errors in the control of an operating system's allocated resources are prevented from affecting the resources of any other image. Thus, each image of the OS (or each different OS) directly controls a distinct set of allocable resources within the platform.
With respect to hardware resources in a LPAR system, these resources are disjointly shared among various partitions, themselves disjoint, each one seeming to be a stand-alone computer. These resources may include, for example, input/output (I/O) adapters, processors, and hard disk drives. Each partition within the LPAR system may be booted and shutdown over and over without having to power-cycle the whole system.
In a logical partitioned data processing system, a class of errors, called “local errors”, are only reported to the assigned or owning partition's operating system. Failures of I/O adapters assigned to a single partition's operating system are examples of local errors. Global errors are a second class of errors that may occur in a logical partitioned data processing system. These types of errors are reported to each of the operating systems in the partitions because these types of errors can potentially affect each partition's operation. Global errors occur when failures in resources shared by multiple partitions occur. Power supply, memory, fan, host bridge, and processor failures are examples of global errors.
Reporting of global errors allows for repair actions. In current logical partitioned data processing system, different operating systems may run on different partitions. For example, AIX, OS/400 and LINUX may each run in a different partition in a logical partitioned data processing system. Servicing such a system can be difficult because of the different reporting processes employed by the different operating systems running on the partitions.
Therefore, it would be advantageous to have an improved method, apparatus, and computer instructions for reporting global errors in a logical partitioned data processing system in which different types of operating systems are present in the partitions.